


Feels Like Summer

by UnlimitedLostWorks



Category: Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Implied Sexual Content, Insomnia, POV Second Person, Self-Esteem Issues, Summer Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:13:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24522172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnlimitedLostWorks/pseuds/UnlimitedLostWorks
Summary: Your name is Rena Minami, and you've never been angrier at an inanimate object than you are with this air conditioning unit.
Relationships: Akino Kaede/Minami Rena
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24





	Feels Like Summer

\--It’s too damn hot. 

Seriously, this is ridiculous. You can’t say you were expecting much from a place that is apparently fine with giving out free rooms in tiny local convenience shop raffles, but still, you would at least expect the air conditioning to be, you know, working. The employee who let you know is extremely lucky he was talking to Kaede, or else the blissful touch of a cool breeze would be blowing through this stuffy room. You’re pretty sure you could’ve got your money back, too.

(Except Momoko had given you that look when you’d started down the hallway towards them, the kind that says “Don’t make things worse than they already are, Rena.” Yeah, you’re pretty good at that bit. She’ll never say it out loud, but you’re used to it by now.)

And of course, lest you forget, it’s July, midway through one of the hottest summers on record, which means without the AC you have no choice but to lie there and let the creeping, cloying haze of heat wash over you in lazy, aimless waves. It had been bearable when you were awake, when you could at least focus on talking, on keeping up the awkward tango of maintaining a conversation where you don’t make yourself look like a complete bitch. Now, though all three of you are in your beds, and there’s nothing to distract you from the endless calefaction.

So here you are, in the dead of night, unable to fall asleep for fear of drowning in a puddle of your own sweat. It’s uniquely miserable, the kind of ever-present discomfort that’s just the right degree of irritating to make it impossible to settle down enough to fall asleep, no matter how much you twist and turn. In fact, you’re pretty sure the extra movement is only making it worse. Idly, you wonder if you could use magic to fix the problem. You could try transforming into Momoko, since apparently she’s so resistant to heat; hell, she’s even kept the covers on, as if she’s absolutely fine with the idea of heatstroke. But no, the flash of magic might wake the other two up, and keeping it going the whole night would just leave you with a darkened Soul Gem in the morning. You already wake up miserable, no need to make it even worse. Can’t even take your pajamas off, because Momoko is right there, and you know she’ll never let you live that one down if she wakes up before you do.

You and insomnia do not get along well. Each lonely, quiet moment is an open invitation for the familiar discordant symphony of your thoughts, each outlining your faults. A reminder you’ve set for yourself, the kind you try your best not to look at. You’re the only reason the three of you are even here, after all. You’re the reason you all pooled together what little money you had to buy a whole week in this little hotel with it’s cramped three-bed rooms and broken-down air conditioning, because Rena Minami is so desperately selfish that she’ll demand that the only two people who can even tolerate her pay out for a full holiday just because she’s jealous. Yeah, some ‘friend’ you are--

You’re startled from your latest bout of self-loathing by a new source of warmth, a more familiar one, pressing up against your back. It’s these damn beds; the room’s so small that they have to put them flush against each other to fit three in one. Kaede must’ve rolled over against you in her sleep. It’s just another reminder that you’re the only one--

Oh. Those are hands intent on snaking their way under your shirt and around your torso, the pads of her thumbs a little rough-- she forgets to wear gloves sometimes, gets lost for hours in her stupid little garden and forgets the whole world, even forgets you. You sometimes wonder if you’re the most pathetic girlfriend Kamihama City has ever known, getting jealous at a vegetable patch. The hands, though, they’re not as damning as the voice, a sweet sort of sleepy hum that compliments the natural softness of her tone. It does things you don’t like to think about to your heart-- you remember all the times you’ve gotten angry at her for speaking too passively, and wonder how past you could’ve been such a colossal idiot. Well, It’s not that hard to understand why. She is you, after all.

“Can’t… can’t you sleep, Rena-chan?”

She yawns a little, and you think you might die. You absolutely, a hundred times over, do not deserve someone like this, not with the way you treat her. How did she even notice? Did you wake her up? You are a monumental failure.

“It’s just too hot, is all. Go back to sleep.”

You almost forget to keep your voice down, feeling that usual frustration bubble up in your throat-- you’re never quite sure who it’s for, Kaede or you, but it’s usually Kaede who ends up on the receiving end of the words you do let out. You like to think that you at least hold the worst parts back for yourself. She goes quiet for a second, but her hands absolutely refuse to leave you. A moment later, they’re joined by her chin pressing in between your shoulder and your neck. It’s, well-- it’s not making the heat problem any better, that’s for sure.

“...You’re making that face. I can tell.”

\--Ahah. There’s no way she could figure it out, of course, but the tight grimace on your lips doesn’t lie. She’s starting to get good at realizing when you’re blaming yourself, isn’t she? You suppose it’s your fault for being too obvious about it-- and there you go again.

“Even if I go to sleep, you’re just going to stay awake all night, aren’t you?”

She’s absolutely right, but you were still about to protest-- at least, until you feel lips begin to trace your neck. Well, you’re still going to protest, but at least this time it’s for a nice, selfless reason.

“--Wait, Kaede! We can’t-- Momoko is right there, you idiot!”

A pause-- well, you pause, at least.

“--plus, this isn’t even solving the problem!”

That at least gets her to stop for a moment, and-- you are almost certain that you just saw something red flutter to the ground out of the corner of your eye. You are going to die. She is going to give you a heart attack. She might be good with heat, but you’re pretty sure Momoko is a light sleeper. Kaede mutters in your ear one more time, and you wonder if she can tell how your heart rate is spiking with every syllable, each tired little noise and every soft sigh.

“It’s okay, Rena-chan. If I stay awake too, you won’t be alone, and you can focus on something other than the heat, right? And, well… um, we’ll just have to be quiet, okay?”

It’s still far too hot, but at least you don’t have to worry about sleeping any more. One hand moves up, and the other moves down. She is going to kill you, and you think you’ve accepted it at this point.

\---

“Six. Hours. Six hours, Mitama.”

“Oh dear. Well, that’s young love for you, I suppose. It’s pretty idyllic, isn’t it, that kind of summertime romance?”

“Easy for you to say. You didn’t have to lie there pretending to be asleep through the whole thing, or risk killing two of your best friends in cold blood at once through pure embarrassment.”

“My, when you put it like that it sounds to me like you were quite the voyeur, Momoko-chan. You could’ve always tried to actually sleep, you know.”

“Ahah, yeah, right. Those two aren’t as quiet as they think they are. Pretty much no chance of me getting a good time’s sleep, specially when it’s so damn warm. C’mon, Mitama. Not like I wanted to creep on them or anything sketchy like that.”

“No, I suppose not. Don’t worry, I promise I’ll try to restrain my jealousy.”

She laughs lightly over the line, and you wonder if you should feel relieved or not. It really wasn’t your intention to... uh, witness that whole encounter. It’s... well, it’s not like the thought never crossed your mind, but the Coordinator is too important to you to abandon her just because your two underclassmen are cute. Besides, you’re pretty sure that would be abusing your position as team leader, and you are most definitely not about that. 

The line is quiet for a few moments-- just long enough that you’re about to check if Mitama’s still there when she speaks again.

“...Still, six hours, hm? Personally, I think we could beat that.”

\--You are extremely glad that you double-checked you were out of Yachiyo’s group’s earshot before you rang her. You can only hope none of them looked over to catch the vibrant shade of scarlet you’ve just turned. Wordlessly, you end the call, and try your best to banish the thought from your mind. 

You-- you should probably talk to them, right? Yeah, that seems like the leaderly thing to do-- well, that and you’d really like to be able to actually get some sleep tonight, if you’re going to enjoy this holiday. You’ll have to wait, though-- Kaede went back to your room midway through breakfast, saying something about needing a shower. Except, you’d left Kaede in the room when you left, also to shower. They really do think they’re being stealthy, and you have to admit that a little adorable. Idly, you wonder which was the real Kaede. You haven’t told her, but you think Rena is getting pretty good at her Kaede impression these days.


End file.
